ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students by Tribal Affairs Ministry helps Lobeno Mozhui of Nagaland complete her difficult field surveys for a PhD successfully
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs extends invaluable support to research scholars in completing their research activities through NFST and other fellowship platforms: Dr Lobeno Mozhui
Dr Lobeno Mozhui-Guest Faculty at the Department of Zoology, Nagaland University, Lumam joined PhD in the year 2013 with research related to documentation of entomophagy  and, Entomo-therapeutical  studies through field surveys across eight different districts in Nagaland. She says that the data collection required travelling to 53 villages across the state, which couldn’t have been possible without financial stability which was provided by 5 years fellowship under NFST from April 2015-March 2020.
She started her research work in June 2014 and faced immense financial problems as she was not availing of any fellowships. During those years, she had to take financial help from her parents and family members.
She also mentions that she was lucky enough to have been selected to avail of 5 years’ fellowship under NFST from April 2015-March 2020. During this, she conducted her field surveys till 2018. She could successfully complete her field surveys and conduct laboratory works on nutritional edible insects at Entomology Division, IARI, PUSA, New Delhi because of the financial assistance through NFST.
She expresses her gratefulness to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, for their invaluable support to research scholars in completing their research activities through NFST and other fellowship platforms. She completed her PhD and received her Doctorate in Zoology on July 13, 2021, from Nagaland University, Lumami.
She proudly mentions of her supervisor, Prof. L. N. Kakati , who has motivated her, supported and helped her strive for excellence in all aspects of research. She says that he is also an inspiration to fellow research scholars and students at the Department of Zoology, Nagaland University, Lumami and he is willing to help and mentor anyone interested in research activities. All of them who have worked under his supervision aspire to be great academician like him in the future.
Prime Minister's Office
PM greets people of Tripura on their Statehood Day
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Tripura on their Statehood Day.
“Statehood Day greetings to the people of Tripura. In less than a year, the state has made remarkable progress. It is realising it’s true potential and people’s aspirations are being fulfilled at a record pace. May this spirit grow further in the coming years”, the Prime Minister said.
Competition Commission of India
CCI imposes penalty on Chemists and Druggists Association and Pharmaceutical Companies
The Competition Commission of India  has found Madhya Pradesh Chemists and Druggist Association , Indore Chemists Association , Himalaya Drug Company  and Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited  along with some of their office bearers/officials to be in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 .
The Commission imposed a monetary penalty on the associations i.e. Rs. 4,18,404/- on MPCDA and Rs. 39,142/- on ICA, in addition to cease and desist directions, issued under Section 27 of the Act. Further taking into account the role played by certain office bearers of the said associations, penalties were imposed on such office bearers. The Commission after taking into account the mitigating factors demonstrated by Himalaya Drug Company and Intas Pharmaceutical Limited, imposed on said companies amounting to Rs. 18,59,58,000/- and Rs. 55,59,68,000/- respectively. Penalty was also imposed on certain officials of these companies. The Commission, however, did not find any evidence of contravention on the part of certain other associations and pharmaceutical companies.
In addition to this, the Commission also directed MPCDA to organise at least five competition awareness and compliance programmes over a period of six months in the State of Madhya Pradesh for its members and directed ICA to organise one competition awareness programme in the district of Indore. The Commission further directed HDC and IPL to bring into place a Competition Compliance Programme and file compliance report with the Commission.
Action was initiated after information was filed with the Commission by M/s Madhya Pradesh Chemists and Distributors Federation alleging contravention of the provisions of Section 3 of the Act by MPCDA and others including certain pharmaceutical companies. The allegations were that the above named associations, through their practices of mandating ‘No Objection Certificate’ / Letter of Consent  prior to appointment of stockists were stifling competition in the market by limiting access of consumers to various pharmaceutical products and controlling supply of drugs in the market. The Commission after forming a prima-facie opinion directed the office of Director General  to conduct investigation into the matter.
An investigation carried out by the DG established contravention on the part of said associations and certain pharmaceutical companies, who were found to be facilitating such anti-competitive practices. DG also identified certain individuals’/ officer bearers/ officials of the associations and pharmaceutical companies to be liable under Section 48 of the Act.
The Commission after appreciation of the detailed submission of the concerned parties and based on the evidence on record, found the conduct of the aforementioned associations and pharmaceutical companies to be in contravention of the provisions of Section 3 and 3 read with Section 3 of the Act.
The Commission made the order on 03.06.2019. The detailed order is available at the Commission’s website www.cci.gov.in
Department of Atomic Energy
India ranks 3rd at International Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad with 3 golds, 2 silvers
Mumbai, 22 August 2022
India secured the third rank in medal tally at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics . India held the third position jointly with Singapore with students winning three gold and two silver medals. The 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics  2022 held in Kutaisi, Georgia, from 14 to 21 August, 2022.
Details of the Individual performance are given below:
The team was accompanied by two leaders: Prof. Sarita Vig , Prof. Ajit Mohan Srivastava , and two Scientific Observers: Dr Shriharsh Tendulkar  and Mr Tejas Shah . Dr Tendulkar was himself a gold medallist at the International Astronomy Olympiad in 2002 and 2003 . There were 209 students from 37 main and 6 guest teams participating in this year's IOAA. In addition, 24 students from 6 countries participated in the online mode. This year's competition was originally scheduled to be held in Kyiv, Ukraine; it was shifted to Kutaisi, Georgia in March 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.
In the medals tally India was placed jointly in the third position along with Singapore, behind Iran's official team  and guest team . In all, 28 gold, 38 silver and 55 bronze medals were awarded at this IOAA. Raghav Goyal won a special prize for the best solution to the most challenging theoretical question.| PIB Mumbai | CP/DR
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Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
TOPS to Financially Assist Para-Badminton Players including Pramod Bhagat and Manasi Joshi for the upcoming Brazil Para-Badminton International
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports  Mission Olympic Cell  in their recent meeting has approved the proposal to financially assist 12 Para-Badminton players to participate in the upcoming Brazil Para-Badminton International, which is a Level 2 event and part of the Paris Paralympics pathway for the year 2023.
The funding has been cleared under MYAS’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme  and will cover financial assistance towards the participation of 12 para-badminton players and their support staff.The funding will cover athletes’ and the support staff’s travel, visa, and insurance costs, along with their boarding and lodging costs, their entry fees for the competition, and Out of Pocket Allowance  for other daily financial needs.
TOPS Para Shuttlers who will be covered under this are -
1) Pramod Bhagat
2) Manasi Joshi
3) Krishna Nagar
4) Sukant Kadam
5) Nitesh Kumar
6) Manoj Sarkar
7) Suhas Yathiraj
8) Tarun Dhillon
9) Mandeep Kaur
10) Nithya Sre
11) Parul Parmar
12) Manisha Ramadass
Ministry of Culture
Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy inaugurates the three day North-East festival 'Ishan Manthan'at IGNCA, New Delhi
Budget for the North East region has increased by over 110% in the last 7.5 years, which reflects our commitment to promote the region at a global level: Shri G Kishan Reddy
Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & DONER Shri G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the three-day North-East festival called 'Ishan Manthan' atthe Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts today in New Delhi. Member Secretary of IGNCA Dr. Sachidanand Joshi, Voice Chancellor of JNU Prof. SantishreeDhulipudi Pandit and National convener of PrajnaPravah Shri J. Nandakumar also graced the event. The three-day event will give an opportunity to get acquainted with the culture, art, music, folk dances, handicrafts and traditional cuisines of Northeast India from March 25th to 27th in the premises of the Kala Kendra near the Western Court. The event will be held 10 am to 10 pm. The audience-listeners will be able to enjoy various cultural programmes and they will be able to buy the handicrafts, garments and other items direct from the artisans of northeast.
Speaking on the occasion Shri G Kishan Reddy said, “The Ishan Manthan programme is a three-day festival to celebrate the rich ethnicity and colours of North East India and it will help in fulfilling the resolve of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. The North Eastern Region inhabits about 400 communities who speak more than 200 languages. The simplicity and humility of the people from the northeast provides them a unique identity”.
Shri Reddy further added, “The Narendra Modi Government is working for the welfare and development of the region. We have prioritised connectivity through all the four means of rail, road, airway and waterways. The budget for the region has increased by over 110% in the last seven and half years, which reflects our commitment to promote the region at a global level.”
The inaugural session was followed by a discussion on the indigenous faith of North East India, performance on the wedding songs of Assam and Mithilanchal, discussions on the unsung freedom fighters of the North East and cultural programmes. The event will also provide information about the films, art and handicrafts of the North East. There will also be folk dance and musical performances from different states every day. On the first day Sikkim's sofiyam band performed and on the second day 'KarpakKardang' of Arunachal and third day musical performance of 'Teteseo Sisters Band' of Nagaland can be enjoyed. Kohima's band of Tetesio Sisters is now famous in the country and the world. These sisters named Mutsevelu, Azin, Kuvelu and Alune are also known as Mercy, Aji, Kuku and Lulu. Traditionally, these singers of the folk song 'Li' in the Chokri dialect have performed in Thailand, Myanmar, China, Korea and the US, etc., besides the country.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Spices Board celebrates 36th Anniversary
Diversification of exports markets and creating Brand India will strengthen the entire value chain’: Rajesh Agrawal IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce
“Diversification of exports markets and creating Brand India in the spices sector will help make India more sustainable and resilient in the export of spices. This will give strength to the entire value chain” said Shri Rajesh Agrawal IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, while inaugurating the 36th Anniversary Celebrations of Spices Board at Kochi.
Interacting with the spice industry leaders and exporters, the Additional Secretary opined “if more value addition happens within the economy, this will make the sector more resilient”. He also called for leveraging of technology and public- private partnerships for further growth and developments in the spices sector.
Addressing the exporters and other stakeholders at the function, Shri D Sathiyan IFS, Secretary, Spices Board informed that the Board has been strategizing to achieve 10 Bn USD in exports of spices by 2030 and requested for insights from the stakeholders on key potential and emerging markets and the stumbling barriers in trade of spices for collective action.
As part of its 36th anniversary celebrations, a panel discussion with spice industry leaders and exporters on doubling exports was organised. The panel discussion chaired by Shri Rajesh Agrawal IAS witnessed active participation of experts from different sectors of the spice industry and representatives of spice exporters associations. On the sidelines of the panel discussion, a compendium on the key schemes for the spices exporters compiled and prepared by YES Bank and Spices Board was released by Shri Rajesh Agrawal IAS, Additional Secretary and the appeal mechanism designed in the Quality Management System of Spices Board for export of spices was introduced before the stakeholders.
On its 36th Foundation Day, Spices Board also organised a nation-wide campaign on ‘Clean and Safe Spices’ covering more than 20 states/UT to spread the message and awareness on food safety and quality of spices for producing surplus quality spices.
Spices Board , the flagship organization for the development and worldwide promotion of Indian spices, was constituted on 26th February 1987 with the merger of erstwhile Cardamom Board and Spices Export Promotion Council. The Board functions an international link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad and it has been involved in various activities which touch upon every segment of the spices sector.
Ministry of Rural Development
More than 40,000 Amrit Sarovar dedicated to the country – significant achievement by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
In the 75th year of Independence, as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Prime Minister has launched Mission Amrit Sarovar on 24th April, 2022 with the target to construct/ rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district across the country and with the objective to overcome the water crisis in rural areas of the country.
A target of construction of 50,000 Amrit Sarovars was set to be completed by 15th August, 2023. Within a short span of 11 months, so far, more than 40,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed, which constitutes 80% of the total target.
‘Jan Bhagidari’ has been the core of this Mission and involves people’s participation at all levels. So far 54088 user groups have been formed for each Amrit Sarovar. These user groups are fully involved during the entire process of development of Amrit Sarovar viz feasibility assessment, execution and its utilisation. States/UTs are leveraging the participation of freedom fighters, eldest members of the panchayat, family members of freedom fighters and martyrs, Padma Awardees, etc. for the purposes like laying of foundation stone of the designated Amrit Sarovar sites, flag hoisting on important dates like 26th January and 15th August. So far, 1784 freedom fighters, 18,173 eldest members of the panchayat, 448 family members of freedom fighters, 684 family members of martyrs and 56 Padma Awardees have participated in the Mission.
More significantly, Mission Amrit Sarovar is boosting the rural livelihood as the completed Sarovars have been identified for the purpose of different activities such as irrigation, fisheries, Duckery, cultivation of water chestnut and animal husbandry, etc. As of now 66% of user groups are engaged in Agriculture, 21% in fisheries, 6% involved in water chestnut & lotus cultivation and 7 % of groups are involved in Animal husbandry. These activities are being carried out by different user groups which are linked to each Amrit Sarovar.
‘Whole of Government’ approach is the soul of this Mission, wherein six Central Ministries, namely Ministry of Rural Development together with Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, are operational in convergence with technical organizations, namely Bhaskaracharya National Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics , and all the States/UTs Governments.
The highlight of this convergence is that the Ministry of Railway and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are using the excavated soil/silt for infrastructure projects in the vicinity of the demarcated Amrit Sarovar sites.
Public and CSR Bodies are playing a significant role by contributing in construction/ rejuvenation of several Amrit Sarovars across the country.
The Mission Amrit Sarovar also aims qualitative implementation and development of Amrit Sarovar as a hub of local community activities and convergence with different Ministries for Amrit Sarovar Works.
Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to GoI
PROJECT O2 for INDIA
The second wave of COVID-19 saw an increase indemand for medical oxygen in different parts of the country. While meeting the current demand,manufacturing medical oxygen also became important to ensure we have adequate supply in the future. ‘Project O2 for India’ of the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, is to enable stakeholders working to augment the country’s ability to meet this rise in demand for medical oxygen.
Under Project O2 for India,a National Consortium of Oxygen is enabling the national level supplyof critical raw materials such as zeolites, setting up of small oxygen plants, manufacturing compressors, final products, i.e.,oxygen plants, concentrators, and ventilators. Theconsortium is not only looking forwardto providing immediate to short-term relief but also workingto strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem for long-term preparedness. A committee of experts has beenevaluating critical equipment such as oxygen plants, concentrators, and ventilators,from a pool of India-based manufacturers, start-ups, and MSMEs . Themanufacturing and supply consortium also includes Bharat Electronics Limited ; TataConsulting Engineers ; C-CAMP, Bengaluru; IIT Kanpur ; IIT Delhi ;IIT Bombay , IIT Hyderabad ; IISER, Bhopal;Venture Center, Pune; and more than 40 MSMEs.
The consortium has started to secure CSR/philanthropic grants from organizations like USAID, Edwards Life sciences Foundation, Climate Works Foundation, etc. Hope Foundation, American Indian Foundation, Walmart, Hitachi, BNP Paribas, and eInfoChips are procuring oxygen concentrators and VPSA/PSA plants as part of their CSR efforts to aid the consortium’s work. NMDC Ltd has agreed to fund the procurement of raw materials like zeolite for the manufacturers in the consortium.
For queries about this project write to industry-engagement[at]psa[dot]gov[dot]in.
Visit the page for more details on various COVID-19 projects: https://www.psa.gov.in/innovation-science-bharat
Ministry of Culture
Minister of State for Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal visits historic Anang Tal in Delhi
Instructs cleaning work to be completed quickly of the heritage site
Union Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal visited the mini lake Anang Tal  created in 1052 A.D by the founder king of Delhi Maharaja Anang Pal Tomar. He was accompanied by the Chairman of the National Monuments Authority Sh.Tarun Vijay, Regional Director ASI,Smt.Arvin Manjul and other senior officers from NMA, ASI, DDA and local administration.
Shri Meghwal was surprised to see the dilapidated condition of the millennium old Anang Tal which signifies the beginning of Delhi. He instructed to finish the work of cleaning of Anang Tal and declare it a National Monument immediately. He said he will ask DDA for rejuvenating Anang Tal bringing back its past glory.
Anang Tal has a strong Rajasthan connection as Maharaja Anang Pal is known as nana  of Prithviraj Chauhan whose fort Rai Pithora is on the list of ASI. These monuments have turned into a garbage dump today. NMA has been trying for the last two years to bring back the glory of pre-islamic monuments destroyed by foreign invaders.
On the occasion Chairman, NMA Shri Tarun Vijay said that it is miracle of PM Narendra Modi's vision and his dedication to preserve the National Heritage. He also thanked Shri Meghwal for a quick action on AnangTal.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves the “Signing and Ratification of MoU for Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection”
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for Signing of "Memorandum of Understanding for Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection". It will be signed among member states of BIMSTEC at the upcoming 3rd BIMSTEC Energy Ministers' Meeting to be held in Nepal shortly.
Background
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation  is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia viz. Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The "Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in BIMSTEC" was formulated in the first BIMSTEC Energy Ministers' Conference held in New Delhi on October 4, 2005. In this plan, under the "BIMSTEC Trans-Power Exchange and Development Project", it was decided that a Task Force led by Thailand, with representatives of member countries, will give a report on draft MoU for grid interconnections. Total five meetings Task Force for BIMSTEC on Trans-power Exchange were held and the draft MoU for establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection was finalized by the Task Force on 16th Mar 2015.
In the BIMSTEC Leaders' Retreat 2016, held in Goa on 16th October 2016, the Leaders decided to expedite the signing of the MoU on BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection. Eventually, during the 4th meeting of BIMSTEC Senior Officials on Energy held on 11th-12th January 2017, the MoU was discussed and finalized.
Impact
This MoU will provide a broad framework for the Parties to cooperate towards the implementation of grid interconnections for the trade in electricity with a view to promoting rational and optimal power transmission in the BIMSTEC region. This MoU will facilitate:
 the optimization of using the energy resources in the region for mutual benefits on non-discriminatory basis subject to laws, rules and regulations of the respective Parties;
 the promotion of efficient, economic, and secure operation of power system needed through the development of regional electricity networks;
 the necessity of optimization of capital investment for generation capacity addition across the region; and
 power exchange through cross border interconnections.